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The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a $100 million development policy credit (DPC) to help improve the enabling environment for Nepal’s green, climate-resilient, and inclusive development pathway.

This is the first in a programmatic series of three DPCs on Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development (GRID).

“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank has pivoted its program in Nepal to focus support to the Government to pursue a greener, more inclusive, and more resilient development path, said Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, read a statement issued on Friday.

"Through this operation, we are supporting the Government’s key policy actions across sectors including water, land use, agriculture, forest, urban, waste, and pollution,” he further said.

This first operation supports strategic GRID transitions that help build and maintain prosperity for all. This includes the sustainable and productive use of natural capital; strengthening the resilience of urban and rural infrastructure, human capital, and livelihoods to climate and environmental risks; and promoting more efficient and cleaner production, consumption, and mobility.

The operation also supports reforms for strengthening inclusion in development decision-making and access to assets and services; and encourages private sector investment in greening Nepal’s economy and creating jobs and livelihoods related to such areas as community forestry, agriculture, clean air, and solid waste management.

“Nepal’s shift to the GRID approach is a strategic move during a challenging era that is full of opportunity. This shift will help the country continue to make progress on expanding and protecting prosperity while reducing poverty in the face of compounding challenges that affect Nepal’s development, including COVID, disaster, climate and environmental risks,” said Steve Danyo, Sector Leader for Sustainable Development for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, and the Task Team Leader for the operation. “The GRID DPC supports Nepal’s shift to a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economy.”

Nepal reported 229 new Covid-19 cases on Friday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 644 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 161 returned positive. Likewise, 2, 074 people underwent antigen tests, of which 68 were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that 48 infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 1,284 active cases in the country.

High alert has been adopted in the coastal areas along the Mahakali river in Kanchanpur district after the sluice gates of the dam of Dhauliganga hydropower project at Tapoban, Dharchula of Uttarakhand Province in India have been opened.

The sluice gates are opened for the silt flushing process. Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Kanchanpur, Chakra Bahadur Shah, said locals of the Mahakali river coastal area have been urged to adopt precautions as there is a possibility of increase in water level in the

Mahakali river as the sluice gates of the dam are opened.

NHPC Limited of India informed that the sluice gates are open from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm today.

The RECOFTC Nepal has expressed its solidarity with the Unity for Sustainability campaign launched by Annapurna Media Network to lead the climate dialogue.

The RECOFTC Nepal, a leading organization working in the sector of forest for the past three decades, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday to take the climate change dialogue ahead through the campaign of Annapurna Media Network.

Though global warming is having a negative impact on climate change on all countries, developing and semi-developed countries are the most affected ones.

Small countries like Nepal should work hard to reduce the effects of climate change.

Sambhu Prasad Dangal, Director of RECOFTC Nepal, said that this campaign would help raise and hold discussions on the important issues of climate change.

As it is not possible to combat the effects of climate change with single effort, a joint effort is needed, he said.

Dangal further said that they are happy to announce themselves and RECOFTC as the green partners.

On the occasion, program manager of the Annapurna Media Network Chiranjibi Neupane said that the campaign would cooperate with all the concerned organizations to raise awareness about climate change.